Trivia

• “8 Mile” is one of two songs from the album that appear in the film, the other being “Lose Yourself.”
• The song was issued as a promotional single in November 2002.

Words from Eminem

“

To get the train sound at the beginning of “8 Mile,” I sent one of my guys to the railroad tracks that cross 8 Mile Road with a mini recorder and mic. I wanted him to record at the exact location where I used to cross the tracks on my way to school. When I listened to the train effect, we put it on the drum pads, and it almost created the song’s melody.

“

Growing up, I fought a lot - whether it was a white neighborhood or a black neighborhood, whether it was because of my skin color or because I was small or skinny. But as a kid I hated crossing 8 Mile and going into Warren, into hillbilly territory, and getting called a wigger. The fact that I loved hip-hop - just the fact that I rapped in school - some people thought it was cool and some people thought it was bullshit. But just coming home, crossing 8 Mile and getting jumped - I was tested a lot.